It seems to me the French was perhaps a bit too tactical in nature, as well as too "neanderthal" in Steinitz's estimation. It was more of the chessic equivalent of two people trading punches, instead of anything methodical and "chess like"...

I play the French exclusively… After many a year playing a variety of e5 & Sicilian, I decided to employ the French to improve my game and to incorporate the Dutch defense by playing 1) d4 e6 2. C4 f5 without having to consider the Stanton gambit …

It is a counter puncher’s defense for sure…  I have seen over the years that more players avoid to play against the complications arising playing the complications of the French Defense and opt to play the Exchange French (a drawish line) rather than learn to fight against it…

The French Defense is fun and helped me understand chess…  After I employed it, I got over the over the 1700 hump in USCF ratings and helped me maintain a rating 2000 (plus or minus 20 points) during my active tourney life…

Quoted by one of the dullest players ever...  Has any one seen one of Steinitz games?  Like watching paint dry... 

That is one of the funniest things I have read in a while...lol

I, too, switched from the Sicilian to the French. This change was an important element in my climb from mid-1500s USCF to 1900+.

Steinitz, by the way, was the victim the first recorded instance of play of the MacCutcheon Variation. I think his complaining is the same as other frustrated 1.e4 players who run headlong into the French pawn structure.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1296635

why play it? cause its awesome!!! :)

When I first thought about the way the advanced variation can be a bit of a positional struggle, I thought he'd be all over it but, the French does definitely offer some great counter play for black, especially in the form of tactics, not exactly Steinitz's cup of tea...

i think it was that Steinitz quote that made me want to play the French. it's like, hey i think i can win with that and some people are not going to like it. sounds like fun to me.

as for d4, isn't transposing to the French good anyways? 1. d4 e3 2. e4 e5 then you can play french all the time. only rarely can white force you into certain sicilian / english

"

Why would anyone play the French defense?"

Well, why would anyone in medieval times build a castle?

The French appeals to those who lke their position to be very tough, very solid. It usually has more counterattacking chances than the Caro Kann. It can also have many different styles of play attatched to it. From straigtforward pawn chains  to very sharp opposite side castling in many lines of the Winawer.

Also the FD player often has an advantage in the endgame.

If any doubters need help convincing, get  a copy of Winning With The French by Wolfgang Uhlmann and play through his games. He beat many strong players, including Fischer using the French.

Also having played as White I find playing *against* the French to be very annoying! even when I know a lot about White's strategies. So it has a psychological aspect to it too.

I very much doubt that seeing 1. ... e6 in reply to 1. e4 is going to make any chess player fall of their chair.

As for passive, there are passive variations in the French, as in most openings and any position can become passive if you play poorly.  But it does not have to be that way. The French "Defence" includes many aggressive counterattacking variations.   In the Winawer Black is rarely passive and it is not often boring.

@greenibex your knowledge of what happened in the first world war looks to be even weaker than  your chess knowledge. 

Its just a stupid troll , don't feed it .  

I know, but still felt the need to voice my contempt for that remark.

Because they're in an amorous mood.

I don't think it's worth my time setting you straight on French military history. France has a long and esteemed military history.

Google Charles Martel, MIG, French Foreign Legion, Napoleon, ...

A defense as broad in scope as the French is going to appeal to a number of different players. It offers black a very wide range of very solid options at a number of points along the way. Winawer or Rubenstein after Nc3. is an example of what I mean. There are tons of different, interesting ways, to play the positions. It seems the me the French is one of the deepest and most fascinating openings in all of chess.

-Ted

There were world champions like Petrosyan who used those passive openings like the french defense and caro kann and won titles and honors so why would being passive is a bad thing?? let alone those defenses have some very sharp and counterattacking/offensive lines.